Manual Material Handling by Rural Women: An In-depth Analysis of the Body Pain Areas

The daily work schedule of rural women is very demanding and arduous. The result is that the rural women are overburdened and subjected to potential health risk. The household work, manual material handling at work place, and animal care are not only strenuous but also the non-neutral posture of trunk frequently adopted by workers is a risk factor leading to exertion and spasm in the muscles. The studies for workers in unorganized sectors have yet to be intensified to equip them to face the grave realities. The present study aims an in-depth analysis of the body pain areas of the women handling manual material in rural sector. A descriptive research design with sample population consisting of 284 women in three talukas of Anand district were selected through stratified random sampling technique. Tool formation—the personal interview schedule consists of general and basic information and the intensity of pain is measured by the body mapping technique to assess the discomfort and musculoskeletal problems of the women. The intensity of body pain when analyzed through body mapping technique, it was found that it usually lies between severe pain to extreme pain while handling manual material. Majority of the women have suffered severe pain in lower extremity and the back (upper back and lower back), and one of the main reason could be because of the wrong posture adopted while doing work. Work-related musculoskeletal disorders due to manual handling (e.g., low back disorders) may have serious consequences on workers, and may restrict their ability to undertake a wide range of work and leisure activities for the remaining of their lives. This study aims to make fundamental changes in their work environment to tackle their fatigue levels.